20 years later, River Forest couple finds PADS essential

Patti and Phil Sheehan have been with the grassroots organization since the beginning

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 10:00 PM

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Mama bear: Patti Sheehan works the welcome desk at the PADS shelter at First United Methodist Church.

A moment: Phil Sheehan prays with 50 homeless men and woman at the shelter.

Photos By J.Geil

Photo Editor

Mama bear: Patti Sheehan works the welcome desk at the PADS shelter at First United Methodist Church.

A moment: Phil Sheehan prays with 50 homeless men and woman at the shelter.

By Devin Rose

Staff Reporter

To many of the Thursday night guests at First United Methodist Church in Oak Park, they are Mama and Papa Bear. Patti and Phil Sheehan take the nicknames as signs of love and respect, earned through the weekly volunteer shifts they've been doing for almost 20 years.

River Foresters, the Sheehans are volunteers with the West Suburban PADS organization that offers shelter, transitional housing and employment services to people in the area. Finding site space for the shelter's tables and mattresses hasn't been easy for the group over the years, and seeking out volunteers is a perpetual process. But according to Phil Sheehan, the problems the shelter addresses can't go unfixed.

"Somebody's got to do this," he said.

As the site captain, Phil, 68, greeted the guests as they filed in Thursday night. He checked in with various people setting tables, laying linens on mattresses and preparing shepherd's pie in the kitchen. Patti, 67, manned the check-in table at the entrance, where about 50 guests were admitted for the night.

Both are well respected among the guests and fellow volunteers, but the Sheehans said the organization didn't run so smoothly at the beginning.

Their involvement with PADS began when they saw an article in their church bulletin asking for donations and volunteers. At the time, their children, Margaret and Tim, both needed community service hours for school, so they went to the depot where the shelter was collecting supplies.

"We got hooked because we both always wanted to do something like that on a bigger scale," Patti said.

They worked at the depot for a while, sorting silverware and doing laundry on Saturdays. Then, around Christmas, they started serving breakfast on-site.

During the first five years, though, it was difficult to find volunteers and places to host guests. First United Methodist Church was one of the original sites, but existing volunteers had to work with other churches and temples to get additional space as the shelter rotates sites from night to night. Every day, the Sheehans would strap 50 mattress pads on the back of a pickup truck that they would drive between the different locations, said Phil, who was working as a banker. Patti was a part-time nurse.

They've experienced some threats and have had to step in to fights between guests before, but Phil said they've never been hurt. Now, some of the guests serve as their bodyguards. Or, like Michael Shipp, on-site entertainment during cigarette breaks.

"[Patti] teases me about my voice because I used to sing to her," he said.

And though the need for space is growing, so is the number of volunteers. Shelter manager Emily Aker said there are over 1,000 volunteers now, and the Sheehans are always encouraging people to stick with it. They both have some health problems, but said they'll continue to volunteer for as long as they can.

"They are such down-to-earth people," said John Stigailo, a guest who has known Phil Sheehan since childhood. "They would do anything for you."

Shipp, who has known the couple about 15 years, added, "they've been devoting their time, they don't have to do this."

When asked what they bring to the organization, Shipp said, "love, respect, a lot of understanding."

"And metal," Patti said, holding up her cane.

"Oh, yeah," Shipp said, laughing. "Mama's got a big stick."